Police tackle VDM over claim officers aiding kidnappers

The Nigeria Police Force has faulted comments by social media activist, Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), alleging that police officers at checkpoints provide information to kidnappers and bandits about travellers.

In a Thursday statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Ani Iniedu, the NPF described the allegations made at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt as “unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging” to the force.

VDM had alleged that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways relay information to kidnappers and bandits regarding the identity and movement of travellers, thereby facilitating abductions for ransom.

The police said it takes all allegations concerning the conduct of its personnel seriously, but rejected the claims in their current form.

“The Nigeria Police Force firmly rejects these allegations as unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians.

“Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met,” the statement reads in part.

The police stated that personnel deployed to checkpoints are there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens.

It added that officers have been ambushed, attacked and killed by the same criminal elements they are accused of aiding, while police stations and formations have also been targeted.

“Our officers deserve better than blanket accusations,” the Force spokesman stated, noting that hundreds of thousands of officers report for duty daily under difficult and dangerous conditions.

Iniedu added, “Sweeping public accusations that paint the entire force as complicit in the crimes it exists to prevent are deeply demoralising to these officers and unfair to the majority who serve with integrity.”

The force said individual officers found to have compromised their duty will face internal discipline and the law.

The police also invited VDM to produce evidence to support his claims, including proof that officers at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and transmit information to kidnappers.

“Any such information will be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly,” Iniedu stressed, urging members of the public with credible evidence of misconduct to come forward through official channels rather than through public allegations alone.

The force reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability, and called on the public to distinguish between legitimate criticism and unsubstantiated claims “which can endanger public trust and national security.”